Book Review: THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS by M.R. Carey

THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS by M.R. Carey (Orbit Books, January 2014) Paperback, 405 pages. 

Synopsis on the Goodreads website . . . . .

NOT EVERY GIFT IS A BLESSING.

Melanie is a very special girl. Dr. Caldwell calls her "our little genius."

Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh.

Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children's cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she'll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn't know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad. 

The Girl With All the Gifts is a groundbreaking thriller, emotionally charged and gripping from beginning to end.

My Four-Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . . .

     If you crave zombie-flavored horror fiction, there are numerous choices out there. However, when you start looking for those with a different feel, or a different take on the genre - - the choices narrow, and rightly so. THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS is right up there with the best zombie novels of all time.

     Also, I'm only calling this a zombie novel for easy summary. That one word conveys a lot and avoids unnecessary description. At no point does Carey use the word zombie - - the victims of the plague (another convenient word) are "hungries" (very apt). 

     Beyond the science-fiction, beyond the horror, beyond the classic road/journey theme, is a heart-warming and tender story about the familial bond between teacher and student - - and that is what sets this apart and makes the story work so well for me. 

     It's also heart-breaking because of what occurs during that journey as well as the way things conclude - - somewhat open-ended and subject to interpretation (optimistic versus pessimistic).  Nevertheless, it's a journey worth taking.

     In Carey's version of an invasion that creates an apocalypse he turns to a mutant variety of the Cordyceps fungus, whose spores invade the systems of foraging ants in the South American rainforests. This form of the fungus, dubbed Ophiocordyceps invades the human body and turns it cannabalistic. Coincidentally, THE LAST OF US video game also used a fungus invasion as the cause of their zombie plague. The game preceded the novel by one year, although I'm not certain that either creator was aware of what the other was working on. 

     The way Carey narrates the story, you can pick this up from various perspectives. Read a little at a time and immerse yourself in the featured character's point of view. Sometimes I put it down after finishing a particular character arc or chapter. It leaves a deeper impression. I'm often placing myself in various character's heads, and wondering what I might do or react in similar situations

Chillling. Suspenseful. Frightening. Thought-provoking. THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS is tense and absorbing.